VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
123 
tion of the line, occasioned, it was supposed, by its 
friction against the dorsal fin. Both of them escaped. 
Another physalis was struck, but dived with such 
velocity that four hundred and eighty fathoms of 
line were drawn from the boat in about a minute of 
time, and the fish was lost by the breaking of the 
line.” 
Having requested to be called, when- 
July 10. thing worthy of observation should 
occur, I arose at two o’clock a. m., on being in- 
formed that a number of seals were seen about two 
miles from us, on a floe of ice, and at a consider- 
able distance from the water’s edge. Being told 
there was no hole by which they could escape, I 
calculated on a good booty, and went, like Robinson 
Crusoe, with my two guns, expecting that the double 
and single barrels, would secure three ; I likewise 
furnished the boat’s crew with seal clubs, but on 
our approach these sagacious animals retreated one 
by one through a small hole in the ice to the water, 
before we got within one hundred and fifty yards of 
them ; and left us to hunt about for the ship for 
four hours, in very great anxiety, as a dense fog 
which had arisen instantaneously prevented our 
seeing beyond twenty yards around us. The fog 
clearing away about eight o’clock, we continued 
our course to the eastward until two o’clock, when 
floes of ice determined that we should proceed no 
further in that direction ; we, therefore, sailed to 
the northward. 
In this course a new scene was presented to us ; 
